Pioneer Days
10 years of Rhodesian progress – from an original BSAC handbook produced for the Greater Britain Exhibition held at Earls Court in 1899.
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It is difficult today to appreciate just how brave and hardy were the early pioneers who opened up the wilderness which became Rhodesia. There was nothing at all to be had other than that which could be brought by wagon through literally hundreds of miles of virgin bush. The wagons and their drivers had to cross land having no roads of any description and the rivers to be crossed had no bridges. There were no towns and everything that a man might want had to be built from scratch. Yet within a few years the pioneers had laid the foundations for a modern country.
This selection of pictures is taken mostly from my own 1st edition publications covering the period up to the founding of the Rhodesia Pioneers’ and Early Settlers’ Society which came into being on 12th September 1904. There are also some which have probably not been published before, and others probably not seen since before 1905, including some private photographs donated by one pioneer descendant who wishes to remain anonymous.
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The above private photograph, with names as below, was kindly sent in by Cathy Rogers a descendant of the Coleman / Moodie pioneers. It shows a group of Salisbury residents in late 1896.
Standing: L.F.H. Roberts, Famhanar, F.W. Inskipp, W.S. Honey, Rev. Pellett, (top, unknown), Freeman, Capt. R.C. Nesbitt V.C., (unknown), W. Grimmer, E.F. Coleman, B. Morris, (unknown), Swemmer.
Sitting: Mrs L.F.H. Roberts, (née Coleman), S.N. Arnott, Mrs T.B.Hulley (née Coleman), Mrs E.F. Coleman (née Moodie), Rankin, Mrs S.N. Arnott (née Coleman), Frank Hulley, Jose Nesbitt, Cecil Hulley, Nora Nesbitt (in front of Mrs Coleman), Lonely and Sixpence.
Having researched the above, some further information may be mentioned.
Mrs E.F. (Margery Hester) Coleman (brother of Thomas Moodie) came up with the Moodie trek in 1892. She ran the first boarding house in Salisbury and was evidently a renowned cook.
Capt. Randolph Cosby Nesbitt V.C. of the M.M.P. (immediately behind Mrs Coleman) earned his V.C. in leading the successful “Mazoe Patrol” which rescued the beleaguered party of mining families at the Alice Mine, Mazoe which had been attacked and surrounded by natives during the 1896 rebellion. Capt. Nesbitt later became a Native Commissioner with many years service.
Famhaner is likely mistyped and may well be G.W. Farmaner later Civil Commissioner in Salisbury.
F.W. Inskipp was a draughtsman in the Surveyors Dept.
Frank Hulley may well be F.B. Hulley who was a Native Commissioner.
Mrs T.B. Hulley was the wife of Lt. Thomas Benjamin Hulley who was later Assistant Magistrate in Umtali and Native Commissioner for Inyanga.
W.S. Honey was William Honey who was a member of the first, under-resourced, relief patrol sent to rescue the miners and their women folk at the Alice Mine, Mazoe. He later returned with the second patrol.
S.N. Arnott was a member of the second successful patrol sent to rescue those surrounded in the Alice Mine laager.
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Three illustrations of real life incidents of a pioneer woman in Rhodesia:
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Rhodesian homestead c1900
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Members on the verandah of the Bulawayo Club 1897
1. unknown 2. P Sneddon 3. AC Evans 4. Fleming 5. Sir Frederick Frankland 6. A Molineux 7. Douglas Hawksley 8. T Tompkins 9. blurred 10. Dr. Hans Sauer 11. PBS Wrey 12. unknown 13. Marquand 14. unknown 15. Fred. Crewe 16. Maj. Walter Howard
(click on the picture and then again for a closer view of the members)
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Messrs. Thomas & Hawksley (in cart) with native boys on road to Hunyani, 1899
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“Salisbury Club, boys watching Coronation Parade in Cecil Square, 1902”
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Outspan in the bush; a Cape Cart on the Ayrshire road North West of Salisbury, 1902
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Native Chiefs on Coronation Day, Salisbury, 1902
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